What I Like About You
by jellinor
Summary: Jackal realizes the moment Akaya sets his eyes on her that this girl is trouble... KiriAn one-shot.


Author's Note: …I blame everything on the plot bunny. Set during the first rounds of the National Tournament and told from Jackal's POV.

Disclaimer: I don't own _The Prince of Tennis_.

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**What I Like About You**

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Jackal realizes the moment Akaya sets his eyes on her that this girl is trouble.

She is standing by one of the many vending machines, clearly contemplating a purchase, and at a first glance she really doesn't look much of anything. She's cute enough, Jackal supposes, if you're into the girl-next-door sort of thing, but there is definitely nothing particularly striking about her in the looks department. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that jazz, and Jackal decides very quickly that the way Akaya literally lights up at the sight of her (and the way he immediately stalks over to press a random push button over her shoulder) does not bode well at all.

Suddenly, taking Akaya on a walk around the place to distract him from the other teams doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"Hey—!" exclaims the girl when the machine cranks out what looks like a can of iced coffee. "Yuck, coffee!"

Yuck, indeed. And Jackal promptly smacks Akaya over the head for being an impulsive brat, before rifling through his own pockets for spare change to repair the damage.

"Geez, what's your problem?!" continues the girl unhappily, as she grudgingly bends down to retrieve her drink. "There are plenty of machines around if you're in a hurry!"

Akaya sniggers. "Maybe I wanted to use this one," he says in a tone of voice that can only be described as deliberately provoking.

Jackal is stunned. Even Akaya's wild and unpredictable behaviour to one side, he doesn't usually go out of his way to cause trouble. Not like this. And when the girl finally turns around to face them, there is an expression on her face that would give even Sanada a run for his money.

"Who do you even think you—" She stops, eyes instantly narrowing into two thin slits. "Oh. It's _you_."

"Well, well if it isn't Tachibana's little sister," replies Akaya smugly. "Long time no see."

Tachibana's little sister? Jackal thinks hard, trying to recall a Tachibana. He doesn't.

"Not long _enough_," she quips, and Jackal has to admit that whoever she is, this girl sure gives as good as she gets. "I thought I had seen the last of you at the Junior Selection Camp!"

The Junior Selection...? Jackal frowns. He remembers receiving an invitation to play those flashy Americans and declining it. Akaya, on the other hand, did not and went to the special training camp along with Sanada and Renji, and wasn't he supposed to have—oh good lord. It couldn't be THAT Tachibana, could it?

"It's good to see you, too." Akaya gives her a lopsided grin, eyes sparkling with mischief. "What are you doing here all by yourself? It isn't safe for a girl to wander around on her own."

Tachibana Kippei's little sister snorts loudly. "It's nice to know you care," she says sarcastically. "But I can look after myself just fine, thank you. I was getting the boys something to drink."

"Eh?" Akaya quirks a brow in mock surprise. "So you mean your precious Fudomine hasn't gotten eliminated from the Tournament yet?"

"You _wish_, Kirihara," huffs Tachibana junior defensively. "For your information, we just wiped the floor with Echigo Daira Daini. 5-0."

"Nice." Akaya nods sincerely, and the girl looks rightfully suspicious. "Took your sweet time about it, though, if you only finished now. From what I've seen, those guys from Hokushinetu shouldn't even be here."

She bristles anew, and Jackal can't say the he blames her. Even so, the last thing he needs right now is explaining to The Big Three how Akaya ended up with a bloody nose. "Akaya, easy," he says warningly. Then to Akaya's latest victim/apparent frienemy, "Please excuse his behaviour, Tachibana-san. Of course we'll pay for a new drink."

"…uh, that's alright, Kuwahara-san," says the girl warily. "You don't have to. I don't mind."

Jackal shrugs. The Rikkai Dai uniform tends to have that effect on people, but at least he offered.

Akaya smirks. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Go die in a ditch, Kirihara," she deadpans.

"Nah, I rather not." Akaya crosses his arms over his chest in a manner vaguely reminiscent of Renji. "We've got a match coming up in a bit. Sorry."

"That's too bad," she quips. Then, reluctantly, she asks, "Against who?"

Akaya taps his chin, clearly pleased with himself. "Not sure," he admits cheerfully. "Murigaoka, I think."

She frowns. "Isn't that the team specializing on spying on people? Total creeps, apparently."

"Yup," agrees Akaya easily. "Doesn't matter, though. They'll lose either way."

"Oh, how modest."

The girl rolls her eyes, but Akaya doesn't seem to take notice. Instead he cocks his head to the side and looks at her intently. "…so?" he prompts, once he deems that Tachibana feels sufficiently uncomfortable.

"So what?" she snaps back, but with a bit less confidence than before.

"Well, aren't you going to ask what court we'll be at so you can cheer for me when I win?"

Jackal shakes his head in disbelief. Akaya didn't just—

"K-Kirihara." Tachibana takes a deep breath, then hisses, "Kirihara, have _you lost your mind_?"

"What?" asks Akaya innocently, and Jackal wonders what the idiot will do next. Pull her hair? Steal her favourite eraser? Honestly that kid.

"What makes you think that _I_—for _you_? Are you crazy?!"

Jackal sighs. He supposes that Akaya's way of sweet-talking girls is a bit weird and sort of really counterproductive, but even then there's no need for her to look like she's about to strangle him, right? Jackal certainly doesn't thinks so, until he remembers the exact details around Tachibana-san's broken leg. Then he is forced to admit that maybe she has a reason to be upset after all; and that Akaya is a total lunatic for still hitting on her when knowing this.

"An-san?" A typical first-year wearing Fudomine's colours has walked up to them and is regarding Jackal and Akaya guardedly. "An-san, are you okay? Ibu-san and Kamio-san thought something might have happened, so Tachibana-san sent me to look for you."

"I'm sorry for making everyone worry." The girl smiles apologetically. "Tell my brother I'll be right there, okay?"

The boy looks like he wants to say something, but thinks better of it when Akaya bares his teeth. "Um, r-right," stutters the poor soul before he scurries off. "B-Bye."

Tachibana An sighs tiredly. "...you know how even bad guys are supposed to have redeeming features?" she says.

Akaya looks surprised and a little proud at this unexpected turn of events. "I guess so, why?"

"And do you know what yours are?"

"No, what?" Akaya studies her eagerly. "My eyes? My smile? My super-awesome tennis skills?"

"_None_." She looks him squarely in the eye. "You, Kirihara, don't have any redeeming features at all."

Then she turns on her heel and stomps off in direction of her team, and she doesn't look back once.

Girl-next-door? Jackal shakes his head at his own naivety. Extra spicy firecracker is more like it.

"Jackal-senpai…" Akaya's voice has this dreamy sort of quality to it, and Jackal can only conclude that boy, he's got it bad. "She totally wants me, doesn't she?"


End file.
